Longs Peak Scottish Irish Festival: A gathering of the clans

By J.M. Davis

Special to the Trail-Gazette

Posted:
08/28/2013 02:36:23 PM MDT

Doves fly out of a cage at the Kirking of the Tartans ceremony during the Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highlands Festival on Sunday. The ceremony celebrates the clan heritage of Scotland. (Walt Hester / Trail-Gazette)

• Tickets and information:. Call 1-800-90-ESTES or visit scotfest.com. Tickets also are available through Ticketwest at all King Soopers locations. Children 4 years old and under are admitted free.

Duart Castle -- home of the Clan MacLean by Nick Holmes. (Courtesy Photo)

Each year, the arrival of the clans heralds that all is well at the Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival. Families who trace their roots to those who planted their feet on Scottish soil to stand firm against adversity happily tell their tales to all who come to call.

"People love to gather and this is the place to do it," says Kent Woodward, who with his wife, Peggy, coordinates the clan gatherings at the fest. "We're all very family-oriented and even if we only see each another once a year, we're still close."

Nestled into three large tents - two that measure 60 x 180 feet and one that's 20 x 60 feet - the clans share the rich and dramatic history of the Celts who populated Scotland and Ireland for centuries. Visitors come to listen to family lore and also ask about their own history. Might they, too, have the blood of the Isles racing through their veins?

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Although clan members may not be able to trace exact lineage, they often provide a starting point, a hint at what other knowledge may come. "We may not be able to tell all about your particular family, but we might identify a clan from your surname," says Woodward. "When you're able to say, 'Oh, you're with Clan Such-and-Such,' their eyes light up and it's a happy occasion for all."

The El Jabel Shrine Pipe and Drum Band leads the clans from the field after the Kirking of the Tartans. (Walt Hester / Trail-Gazette)

Woodward says in the last 20 years, more and more people have become interested in finding their roots and learning about their families. "It's a little more difficult these days to trace back because people tend to move around more," he says. "It's not like the old days when you were born in a town, lived in that town and died in the town."

Once a clan has been identified, visitors are referred to the nearby geneaology tent where Bill Lowe can dig a little deeper.

The Woodwards have attended the festival for 27 years and Kent has been the clan coordinator for the past 11 years. "The festival is a wonderful event," he says. "Over the three days, more than 78,000 people attend. It's amazing how it's grown."

The number of clans in attendance each year ranges from 55-70. Family representatives for Clan Lockhart and Clan Rutherford, who man a booth each year without fail, will be honored this year after losing their homes in the recent Black Forest fire near Colorado Springs.

"It's heartbreaking," Woodward says. "They're family to us and we want to come together to help them. Friendships run strong throughout the gathering, what hurts them, it hurts us all."

He says although Clan Lockhart representatives won't be able to attend, Clan Rutherford members will be on hand this year. "Even though they've lost everything, they say they will still be there, even if they have to sit at an empty table," Woodward says. "But, we all want to help. We'll be lending a tablecloth, extra books --- anything other items necessary to help them set up."

Bringing people together for a weekend of Celtic celebration is a heartfelt mission for those involved with the festival. Woodward shares the story of his own father, Doug Woodward, who was a commissioner for Clan Pollock. In 1996, Doug Woodward was bedridden after serious complications following surgery. He'd been planning to oversee the annual general meeting for the clans, which was to be held - for the first time ever --- in Estes Park rather than on the East Coast.

"He met with Jim Durward (founder of the festival) and told him everything that needed to be done at that meeting down to the last detail," Woodward says.

"Within an hour of that meeting, my dad passed away. He was one of those people who wanted to make sure everything went well. He was very dedicated to those people who bring the clans to the festival. It's their life, it was his life."

And that's the way it is for all who help the festival magically rise from the mists in Estes Park each year. "The Scotch and Irish share in their love of family," Woodward says. "It was always family first from the very beginning. There's a lot of caring, love and sacrifice that has gone into raising that family through the years."

Driving into town for the festival each year never loses its thrill for the Woodwards.

"The setting is so reminiscent of Scotland. We can go to Estes any day of the year and it's great, but when you come upon it and see all the tents set up ready for the festival, it's the most wonderful feeling ever."

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